Dana White always says MMA fighters have a small window of opportunity in the sport, and Ricardo Ramos needed a second chance to impress the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

“Carcacinha” was excited when he heard that White would be in attendance the night he was fighting Manny Vazquez for the Legacy FC bantamweight title in February 2016. Filming his reality show “Lookin’ for a Fight”, White was interested in signing the Brazilian, but Ramos ended up losing via first-round submission.

The bantamweight prospect didn’t quit his dream of becoming a UFC fighter, though. Six months later, the jiu-jitsu expert got a call to face Alfred Khashakyan in Bangor, Maine, and White would once again be inside the arena watching him fight.

“It was a big test for me,” Ramos, who won via second-round submission, told MMA Fighting. “It sucks that I lost the first time in front of Dana White, but I had a second chance to show him my skills. I wanted to show him especially that I have an excellent jiu-jitsu. I wanted to tap a guy that was never submitted before.

“I saw the first loss as an experience, something that made me grew and get better as a fighter. Those are unique opportunities you can’t waste, and I’m glad I got a second chance.”

Ramos recognizes the mistakes he made in the fight, and being nervous to perform in front of the president of the UFC was one of them.

“I wouldn’t say I lost because of that, but that really affected me in the fight,” Ramos said. “I was a bit nervous, yes, and I let that control me. That was my mistake, and Manny Vazquez took advantage of that. All credit to him. But I was able to work on this psychological aspect after the loss, doing some coaching and yoga, and that won’t happen again. My mind is bulletproof now.”

Ramos’ plan was to impress White, and he got what he wanted: on Saturday night, “Carcacinha” will make his UFC debut against Michinori Tanaka at Houston’s UFC Fight Night 104.

Ramos got the shot he was hoping for, but he doesn’t want to become just another talent to arrive from “Lookin’ for a Fight” and disappoint in the Octagon like some that signed with the promotion in the past.

“Your performance depends on how you train,” Ramos said. “I did my best every day in my camp and will put on the best performance possible in the fight to get the victory. I did my best every day, and that will be enough to go there and put on a great fight and get the win for Brazil.”

The Brazilian prospect brings a 9-1 MMA record to his Octagon debut, while Tanaka makes his fifth UFC appearance after defeating half of his previous opponents under the promotion’s banner.

“I already expected to get a fight on short notice, but I liked this fight,” Ramos said. “It’s a good match-up for me. I mean, I’d fight anyone they give me, but I like this fight. I had enough time to study him and come up with a strategy. I’m ready to fight Michinori.”

Tanaka looks to bounce back from a unanimous decision loss to Rani Yahya back in September, and “Carcacinha” says he has learned important lessons studying that contest.

“(Tanaka) is predictable,” Ramos said. “I saw all of his fights, and he always does the same things, always going the distance. He’s predictable, but he’s tough. He’s hard to tap. Rani Yahya couldn’t submit him, but there’s a first time for everything. I’m ready to submit him or to knock him out. The Rani fight showed me a lot of openings in his game. I won’t change who I am, and I’m going for the finish.”